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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — happening now
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spring — the season
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. kick — in football
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fall — the season
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. current — electric
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spring — a coil
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com